Dissident BJP MLA accuses CM Dhumal of regional bias

In a fresh salvo against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, dissident BJP MLA Khushi Ram Balnatah on Saturday accused him of discrimination against his constituency.

"The Chief Minister is discriminating in development on regional basis.... No development work has taken place in his constituency during past four years," Balnatah, who had scripted history by winning the by-election from the Rohroo assembly seat vacated by former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in 2009, said.

Balnatah, who earlier caused embarrassment to the government by writing a letter to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari seeking change in leadership ahead of the assembly polls, said that "my Rohru constituency has been totally ignored and the Chief Minister.... has no moral right to stay in office as he has failed to honour his commitments made on Himachal day two years ago.

"I condemn such discrimination in development works by BJP government which did not open or upgrade a single school in past four years despite the fact that Rohroo constituency has a vast interior areas and is scattered," he claimed.

He claimed that the Rohroo hospital and the Primary Health Centres are facing shortage of short of staff.

"I tried to attract the attention of the government towards these problems so many times, but it always turned a deaf ear," he said.

Balnatah, whose Rohru constituency has been reserved in delimitation, has not applied for ticket from any other seat so far and speculation is rife that he might desert the party and join the Himachal Lokhit Party floated by dissident BJP leaders.

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